Imphal: Security forces arrested a suspected member of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) in Imphal West on Monday, a day after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded at a forest official’s residence in Imphal East, police said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as 24-year-old Khumbongmayum Ranjan Singh, was arrested during a joint search operation at Kangmong Maisnam Maning Leikai by a team of Imphal West district commandos, police said.
The arrest came a day after an IED exploded inside the residential premises of Oinam Pamheiba, a Forest Range Officer posted in Noney district. The incident took place around 2 am on Sunday at Kongba Kshetri Leikai, within the jurisdiction of Irilbung police station.
The blast damaged property but did not result in any injuries or fatalities, according to authorities.
The armed wing of the KCP later claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, the outfit’s media coordinator, A. Luwangba, said its Special Task Force carried out the bombing.
The outfit alleged that Pamheiba had failed to pay a so-called “revolutionary tax” imposed on him since 2025 despite repeated warnings. It also claimed that Pamheiba and another forest official, Takhelambam Tiken, were under its surveillance.
Police have registered cases in connection with the incidents and initiated investigations. Authorities are also examining the circumstances surrounding the arrest and the alleged links of the accused with the banned outfit.